What is it?

 

There are several theories regarding the cause of stringhalt which is a condition affecting the long nerve which tells the hind limbs what to do.

Affected horses exhibit jerky upward movements, sometimes even hitting their belly. Some describe it as ‘goose-stepping’ and it can be so bad the horse cannot walk at all. They certainly can’t back up. The condition is worse if the horse stands around and sometimes they get better as they move (warm out of it to an extent)

Stringhalt is usually caused by the horse consuming the flatweed ‘Cat’s Ear’, which can proliferate in horse paddocks during dry spells. It becomes very palatable at these times and horses will really go for it! Cases of stringhalt have also been reported from paddocks where there is no Cat’s Ear growing at all.

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Susceptibility

Affected horses can sometimes show other ‘Grass Tetany’ type symptoms.
Horses that are well nourished mineral wise are not nearly as susceptible to developing stringhalt in the same paddock that other horses are suffering from it.

In the case of stringhalt, prevention is far preferable to cure because recovery can be a lengthy process compared to other diet related conditions.

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*Stringhalt is one of the few conditions where you do NOT want to lock them up in a confined space - this is because the symptoms worsen when they have been standing around and then they first move off. The jerking of the limb is exaggerated for the first couple of steps and then to various degrees they ‘warm out of it’.

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